Children and screen time

[PronounsBaby]

I've heard a lot of parents saying watching telly is linked to their kids bad behaviour and wondered what the general thinking is behind this?

If the kids are watching low stimulation shows - is that still going to effect their behaviour?

Sorry, was meant to quote this post.

This isn't true for all children. Excess screens absolutely do affect some children's behaviour.

Being aware of a badly behaved child who doesn't watch tv is not evidence that screens can't affect behaviour, surely this is obvious.

I agree with this. Keep them away from YouTube if you can.

I have just recently watched a short video on how to knit from a person posting videos on the topic but I am an adult and switched off after I got the information I required. Children just seem to sit and watch YouTube continually, like there's no end point. Please save yourself the stress of having them go on about it and don't start it in the first place.

Watching films is the way forward. You can chat about the plot together.

My little one has bebefin on in the background. He's not one for staring at the screen though, more a two second glance and back to cars, balls etc. won't ever put cocomelon though, can totally see how that one hooks the kids

I have two friends that are reception teachers and have been for around 25 years each. They says it's getting increasingly obvious which kids watch a lot of screens and the sort of stuff they watch.
Poor speech (in the recent years are so many that can't speak properly in whole sentences) inability to concentrate, sit still, follow instructions.
They know what the kids are doing as kids tell them everything. Eating habits have declined awfully and many of the kids eat in front of the TV/using an iPad.
Another friend is a psychotherapist for young adults/older teens. She's got to a point where she can almost guess which of them have a huge amount of time looking at social media. Most of the ones with severe anxiety and self harming. We know as adults the impact of SM on making us feel a bit shit. For young people it's much worse.
I have 3 older teens and didn't let any of them have SM when younger and thankfully the 18 and 19 year old have gone passed it and not interested apart from WhatsApp.
Two of mine are ND and when younger screens hugely affected their behavior. Kept them really quiet but afterwards would be hyper. I quite often had screen free weeks and their behaviours would improve immensely.

I've never understood why people have it on. Why not have nothing?

Don't like silence and I tried having a radio on but he likes having something to look at when he does look at where the sounds coming from

I had to stop it. My LO is going through referrals and under paediatrics atm. She really struggles with meltdowns and overstimulatation. The days she watches telly, my God she blows and becomes unmanageable :(

So for us I found background music no telly makes life easier.

If we put it on whilst I need to make dinner I put on low stimulation, like landscape images with music on YouTube, or daydreams.
For 30 mins in the morning she has Ms rachel. But I try and have none most days else we definitely suffer for it later in the day.

I think all children are different so it may not effect others as much. So you just do what works for your family.

My friend has telly on all day in the background and her child is thriving and doesn't seem to have any issues but I know if I did life would be hell 😂

If it’s clearly impacting behaviour then this is a problem or if it’s the only thing they want to do. My DD probably watches too much TV but the content I’m happy with, horrible histories, the Julia Donaldson adaptations for example. But she does loads of other stuff, she’s writing her own book, loves puzzles and crafts. Goes swimming, gymnastics and drama club. Meeting or exceeding expectations on school reports. If she’s told to turn off the tv she does. Never been allowed YouTube and never been allowed on a device in a restaurant for example. Only you as a parent know if it’s too much and the impact it has on your child.

@PronounsBaby I don't understand what is judgemental about this post...? 😳

TV affects children differently.
My DD has ASD with a PDA profile and for her, watching TV is very regulating after a busy overstimulating day at school. She watches the same few things over and over, toddler level stuff mostly.
That's her only screen time but it is quite a lot every day to help her wind down. She does other things too like reading but TV she can do on her own without adult input and that's what she needs to decompress. I'm hoping as she gets older it will switch naturally more towards reading independently as a way to self regulate.

Interesting at the people who say "they only watch the TV....except I give them my phone in xyz situation". That isn't only then isn't it.

My kids deffo didn't react well to TV. We've never really done other devices, although I let my 11yo now. The older ones at secondary school watch a bit most days now we still have limits and wouldn't watch more than about 2h a day ever.

It’s overstimulating. Plus stops “getting the wiggles out” - half an hour in the garden (stomping in puddles in wellies in the rain! While I encouraged from the back door with a brew) improved behaviour whereas half an hour sat still made it worse.

In my experience I used to let mine watch kidstube and I noticed their behaviour getting really bad. They got hooked on it and would quickly skip through videos and a lot of them were badly behaved, grabby children opening endless boxes and packets of toys. I couldn’t stand it so I told them kids tube was gone and we couldn’t get it back. Their behaviour improved so much after that. They can still watch Disney plus, Netflix, iPlayer etc but they’re not as interested in watching those so they play more.

I wouldn't say mine behave badly with more screen time but they are noticeably less able to play nicely. I tend to keep TV limited to dinner time so they sit and eat and I also get to eat. On Sunday afternoons they can have kidstube on their tablets. They're much less interactive with their tablets than the TV.

Oh and we are not the kind of family who just has the tv on in the background regardless of whether anyone is watching it. I don’t think that is very healthy but I notice a of people do that.

I think what is on the screen and the type of screen have a big impact

I dont think a traditional tv watched from a sofa has the impact on eyes and neck that a phone/iPad have.

I don't think a well scripted show that lasts an age appropriate duration is the same as watching tiktok style scrolling.

I dint think gaming is the same either. Some games are designed to be very addictive but others are just games.

I think that there is a discussion to be had about parents phone use, child phone use and language development.

The type of screen is relevant too. A kid sitting on a couch watching a big TV is different from a phone in hand. They don't get to control it and the concentration is less zoned in. Mine watched more than I would have liked when young but DS1 was hyper and destructive and the only way to prepare a snack or get organised to leave the house was plonking him in front of the TV where he would jump up and down while his eyes stayed in one spot. It was that or restrain him! He was very difficult in a buggy and we had an awful time but I'm still glad it was before sophisticated smart phones. He never got a screen out and about and I have to say its one thing that I will judge parents on. I think its OK if waiting somewhere or at a bus stop but when I see a parent out for a walk or collecting another kid from school and child is looking at a phone it is just wrong. They are supposed to notice the world, this is a huge part of learning and development. I'm sure those parents say they will throw a tantrum without it but isn't that evidence that they have become addicted to it?

If that's aimed at me - as I said only tv, apart from phone to brush teeth - then I think those 2-3 minutes of phone screen don't count! It isn't like he's in a buggy holding a phone when we're out (which would be more like 2-3 hours). The two are completely different.

Television is a passive action and children can become disturbed by what they see, especially if it’s not age appropriate or if it overstimulates. The problem its also addictive right, so it becomes hard to set limits. Children are not meant to sit at screens all the time, studies show that children who are outside more in nature, playing and engaging with their friends have lower stress levels and therefore less anger and behavioural issues.

Not just you, but I think letting kids to use a phone to achieve every day things is not good. I see people talking about giving them a tablet to get a break at a mealtime which I don't understand either.

We started this when he was a baby trying to brush his first tooth. It's what all the parents recommended (on here, Mumsnet) to distract them. Specifically the Hey Duggee Teeth Brushing Song. It has worked for me and many others. When you've tried all else, I don't see the harm in a 2 minute video personally, especially since it's a video to encourage the goal! I see having healthy gums and teeth as more important than worrying what a 2 minute clip may or may not do.

I find CBeebies on an ipad bad as it's open ended - personally I've found that any content that just keeps on rolling is really bad, including CBeebies games (now banned). Enforcing a time limit has been really helpful. Longer grown up (but child safe) 'competitive craft' type programs seem better